Washington Square Park Living Room and Kids' Room

A big, open space in a home is a nice thing, but sometimes it can be hard to divide the space into useful areas. That's exactly the problem Bob and Cortney tackled with their clients on Saturday's Home By Novogratz, and the best part is that we get to see it in Before and After format!

I've loved before and after transformations ever since Brady Bunch episode 71 where Marcia gave her friend, Molly, a makeover. This Novogratz design was similar. The clients' 3 bedroom apartment had good bones but just needed Bob and Cortney to take off its glasses, raise its hemline, and replace its loafers with go-go boots. Of course, in this case, removing glasses means decluttering, raising the hemline means defining boundaries in the open space, and replacing the loafers means new wallpaper, paint, furniture, light fixtures, and accessories.

Bob and Cortney also turned the project into a competition where Cortney took on the living room and Bob tackled the kid cove. I'm sure there have to be boys vs. girls themed episodes of the Brady Bunch that I could write an analogy about, but I can only think of the "oh my nose" episode where Greg nailed Marcia in the face with a football.

Stefan, the Hungarian crew member, said he preferred Bob's side, but I think he was just trying to get back at Cortney for all that wallpaper she makes him hang. In the end, both rooms had some very cool elements and both made better use of their respective spaces, so it's hard to say who won, especially considering that Bob used Cortney's idea of blending in the many doors in the kid space with wallpaper and that Bob had some of the kids' art scanned onto canvas and displayed in a light box and then Cortney stole it for the adult side. Ok, it was mutually agreed upon that it belonged in the living room, but still, it was too close to call. The family did love it, however, and nobody accused anybody of sabotage like in the Brady Bunch episode where Greg and Marcia run against each other for student body president. Whew! I remembered one!